PODCASTING

Podcasting muscles its way into the African marketing mix

By our News Team | 2023

On a continent where huge numbers of young people are embracing non-traditional mediums, the rise of podcasting seems assured.

By 2024, podcast advertising spend in the US will reach US$4.2-billion – a hike of more than 100% from 2022 figures, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PwC. Does the same rise in podcasting popularity apply to Africa too?

“Podcasting as a share of new media in Africa is growing,” affirms Josephine Karianjahi, co-founder of Africa Podfest, a repository of African podcasts and the custodian of Africa Podcast Day, a celebration of African podcasting held annually on 12 February. “But, currently, many people aren’t sure how much to invest.”

Podcasting

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While Covid-19 sparked interest in podcasts and audio-based content in general – as remote workers tuned in during working hours and people looked for human connections and access to information – little is currently known about the actual size of the African podcasting market. 

Fortunately, research reports from the likes of Africa Podfest, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) are increasingly adding colour to how marketers and brands see this growing new media channel. 

Karianjahi believes podcast marketing should undoubtedly be added to the marketing mix. However, effective execution requires the careful selection of potential partners and involvement from the ground up. This is to ensure marketing efforts are perceived as authentic by the target audience. 

Ways to track podcast impressions and measure impact

With companies such as NielsenIQ recently announcing that it has developed ways to track podcast impressions and measure the impact of marketing in the podcast space, it is becoming increasingly clear that the channel does yield benefits for brands that are looking for an intimate platform on which to engage a specific audience. 

Podcasting ad effectiveness insights from Nielsen shows that advertising on podcasts drives “an added brand recall rate of 71%, while 56% of podcast listeners say they pay more attention to ads read by the host(s)”. As such, the company notes: “In a world that is moving away from cookies and toward actual people, smart brands are looking to engage the right consumers with a well-tailored message rather than casting a big net and hoping for the best.”

The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Africa Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022-2026 report, released in late October 2022, is similarly bullish about podcasting from a purely African point of view.

“Some of the most exciting developments in the media and entertainment space over the last few years have come from the digital audio sector,” the researchers observed. “Podcast advertising proved itself to be largely ‘pandemic- proof’ throughout 2020, with revenue growing by 30.4% in that year in South Africa and 41.8% in Nigeria”.

You will find this story, and much more, in Issue 4 2022. Strategic Marketing for Africa is the voice of African marketing and the official publication of the African Marketing Confederation (AMC). It is available quarterly in Digital and Print editions.

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    Dr Kin Kariisa

    Group CEO - Next Media

    Dr. Kin Kariisa is an extraordinary force at the helm of Next Media Services, a conglomerate encompassing NBS TV, Nile Post, Sanyuka TV, Next Radio, Salam TV, Next Communication, Next Productions, and an array of other influential enterprises. His dynamic role as Chief Executive Officer exemplifies his unwavering commitment to shaping media, business, and community landscapes.
    With an esteemed academic journey, Dr. Kariisa’s accolades include an Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College inTexas, an MBA from United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University.
    Dr. Kariisa pursued PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. As a dynamic educator, he has shared his expertise as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at both Makerere University and Radboud University.

    Dr Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.

    Dr Kin did his postgraduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.

    • Other current and previous roles played by Dr Kin Kariisa:
    • Lecturer of e-Government and Information Security to graduate students at Makerere University, Kampala and Radbond University in the Netherlands
    • Director of Eco Bank Uganda Limited, one of the largest banks in Africa
    • Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters, an umbrella industry association for all Television, Radio and online broadcasters in Uganda.
    • Chairman of Board of Directors of Nile Hotel International, that owns the leading hotel in Uganda, Kampala Serena Hotel.
    • Chairman of Board of Directors of Soliton Telmec Uganda, the leading telecom company in Optic fibre business managing over 80% of optic fibre in Uganda.